1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination image-capturing apparatus and a method of operation thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination image-capturing apparatus and a method of operation thereof capable of storing images in first and second recording media, respectively, corresponding to first and second image-capturing units independently driven to capture the images.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, digital still cameras convert images captured through lenses into digital signals, and store the digital signals in a recording medium such as a hard disc or a memory card. The digital still cameras do not record captured images on film, but store them in the recording medium, and can input digital images directly to a computer without using a scanner or the like. Digital pictures generated by such digital still cameras are convenient to edit and modify due to the high compatibility with personal computers, as captured images can be sent to the personal computers by connecting the digital camera to an external computer. Furthermore, digital still cameras are easy to carry due to the similarity in structure as general cameras. Digital still cameras typically each have a lens unit, a memory unit, a signal conversion unit, a display unit, and so on. Digital still cameras are mainly used to capture still images due to the capacity of the recording medium for storing the images. While some digital still cameras have the capability of capturing moving pictures, it is difficult or impossible to take such moving pictures for a long period of time with digital still cameras. In particular, since there is no device for storing and reproducing sound, it is not appropriate to capture, store, and reproduce moving pictures with most digital still cameras. In order to satisfy consumer demands, recording/reproducing devices, such as camcorders, are widely and generally available for recording and reproducing images and sounds of a subject stored on a recording medium such as tapes.
The camcorder is provided with a lens unit, a signal conversion unit, and a deck unit for recording images taken as pictures, and reproducing images on a display unit. Such a camcorder mainly employs a cassette tape as a recording medium, and has the cassette tape loaded in the deck unit to record moving pictures. Further, the camcorder is provided with a microphone and a speaker, and can take and stores pictures in the loaded cassette tape for more than one hour. Some camcorders also have the function of capturing still images, but the camcorder is mainly used to take moving pictures since they typically have poor still image quality compared to the digital still camera. Further, the camcorder has a complicated structure with more functions than the digital still camera, so the camcorder is relatively large and expensive.
As stated above, however, in order to utilize the respective functions of both the digital still camera and the camcorder, a user has to purchase both of the products. Accordingly, such purchases are financially burdensome on consumers. Further, after the purchase, there is a troublesome problem of having to carry two products due to the individual characteristic functions of each of the two products.
In order to solve these problems, a digital camera-combined camcorder, which unites a camcorder and a digital still camera into one case, has been developed, which is referred to as “digital camera/camcorder” or “DuoCam”.
In order to capture and store images in a storage medium with the DuoCam, extra and separate buttons from each other are generally required. One set of buttons are separately provided for the digital camera to capture and store images in a memory and a second set of buttons are provided for the digital camcorder to take and record pictures on a tape. When performing the image-capturing operations with the separate buttons, however, a user must check to determine if the DuoCam is in the digital camera mode or in the digital camcorder mode, and use the appropriate buttons that correspond to the particular mode of an image-capturing operation. This causes a great deal of inconvenience as well as increasing the amount of buttons required, therefore making a combined digital camera-camcorder product larger in size.
Thus, a need exists for a combined digital camera-camcorder product that does not require a dual set of buttons to operate the different functions of the digital camera and camcorder.